City receives $1 million gift for downtown plaza

Ashley SchaferAshley.Schafer@hearstnp.com

Published
1:14 am EDT, Saturday, March 16, 2019

The design concept for the East End Plaza is shown during a presentation about the project by SmithGroup and the Michigan Baseball Foundation on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019 at City Hall. (Katy Kildee/kkildee@mdn.net) less

The design concept for the East End Plaza is shown during a presentation about the project by SmithGroup and the Michigan Baseball Foundation on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019 at City Hall. (Katy ... more

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The design concept for the East End Plaza is shown during a presentation about the project by SmithGroup and the Michigan Baseball Foundation on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019 at City Hall. (Katy Kildee/kkildee@mdn.net) less

The design concept for the East End Plaza is shown during a presentation about the project by SmithGroup and the Michigan Baseball Foundation on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019 at City Hall. (Katy ... more

City receives $1 million gift for downtown plaza

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The Michigan Baseball Foundation is donating $1 million to a new downtown plaza project, if approved by the city council on Monday.

Midland City Council will host a public hearing and vote on the Major Street Fund budget to reflect the donation at its regular meeting at 7 p.m. Monday at City Hall.

The development, which is part of the Main Street Streetscape project, was first discussed and approved at a Downtown Development Authority meeting on Feb. 26.

If also approved by the council, plaza construction will begin immediately and is set to conclude by July 1, said David Ramaker, president of the Michigan Baseball Foundation, at the DDA meeting.

Initial concept designs for the space include a deck that overlooks the Tittabawassee River and will be located underneath the Poseyville Road Bridge.

"The idea behind this is the ability to use this (space) as a placemaking, gathering (space) where people can get together on the spur of the moment, or based on a program-type function," Ramaker said.

The plaza is a collaboration between the Michigan Baseball Foundation, Fisher Contracting Co. and OHM Advisors.

The $1 million donation includes $85,000 for design services and $915,000 for construction.

The council is scheduled to vote to approve a resolution that will amend the budget to increase revenues and expenditures by $915,000 to provide budgetary authorization for the plaza. It will also authorize $856,995 of additional expenditures to Fisher Contracting Co. for construction of the Main Street Plaza and $58,005 of additional expenditures to OHM Advisors for construction inspection and project management.